Rising Empire
by SLioniello
Summary: Tired of letting others control and manipulate her, Mare takes matters into her own hands. Betrayal, sadness, and anger all drive her actions towards a dangerous path that she must walk alone. Will she be able to finally put an end to Maven's rule, or will her anger make her into the monster Maven portrays her to be? Takes place after King's Cage.
1. Chapter 1

I look out onto the horizon. The base is so peaceful at night. The darkness of the night mirrors the feelings churning within me. Sadness. Loneliness. But most importantly, rage.

 _Anyone can betray anyone._

It feels like a lifetime ago since Julian said those words to me. Yet I have spent every moment ignoring them, despite every mistake I make. While Maven's imprisonment was torture, nothing could have prepared me for the pain of Cal's choice. Maven may have destroyed my trust, but Cal did something much worse. I've made the same mistake too many times, never learning to stay away from the flame to save myself from the burns.

But today everything changes. I will no longer be a pawn in everyone else's games. The clouds roll over the peaks of the mountains, unnaturally circling around the camp. It has been weeks since Cal made his decision, and I have been spending every moment of my time training my abilities to heights I could have never even dreamed of. Even the other electricon have been watching me closely, waiting for my power to reach its limits. They'll be waiting for a long time, because I'm not anywhere close to my full potential.

I reach out to the sky and feel the storm building up around me. Thunder starts to rumble across the clouds, filling the silence of the camp. I feel the electricity building around me. I can't help but laugh – I've spent so long looking for somewhere I belong, but it has been right in front of my eyes the entire time. Not Silver. Not Red. Even the Newbloods look at me as if I am something different. Something more dangerous than themselves. They aren't wrong.

I feed on the electricity in the air and send a small bolt into the sky. To any unsuspecting patrol out right now, it would be barely noticeable, but those watching the skies for my signal know it's time to get out. There's no turning back now. I watch as small groups of young soldiers come out from their cabins, moving towards the mountains. The image still sends shivers down my spine – young boys and girls, most of them barely even 16 years of age, sent to fight in a war they are too young to understand. A war devised simply to keep them under control.

And while the Scarlet Guard may have rescued them, they will only be used as soldiers again if they stay. They are children who have grown up too fast in their small amount of time at the Choke, and they jumped at the first opportunity they got to return to a life without war.

With so many children moving together, we expected to be caught almost immediately. It's pathetic the Dagger Legion made it so the base of the mountain before any of the patrols noticed. Now following in the distance, the base patrols start to gain in numbers as they begin to close the gap between themselves and the children. Now for my part.

I give myself up to the storm, concentrating all of the built up electricity in the sky into one area. It takes everything in me to hold it back from unleashing onto the earth, letting it build and grow.

"Mare…are you sure about this?"

I turn and see familiar green eyes searching my face for any sign of regret. Kilorn knows me well, probably better than anyone else, but even he doesn't understand what I've been through.

I am done allowing myself to become a weapon for others to wield. The Scarlet Guard will only use me to accomplish their own goals, and cast me aside as Cal did when a better opportunity comes around.

I will no longer be someone else's sword for a war I can't control. I will no longer allow myself to fall into the cages that everyone around me builds. I have had enough.

I turn my gaze away from Kilorn and focus on the storm again. "I never liked Evangeline, but the last time I spoke to her she asked me to do something, and now I plan on finishing it."

The thunder roars, drowning out whatever Kilorn says next. I watch below as the patrols start to close the gap, slowly gaining on the Dagger Legion. I pull the lightning from the sky and direct it between them, striking the ground and throwing dirt and dust into the air. The force of the bolt throws many of the patrol backwards, and causes the rest of them to stop dead in their tracks.

Some of the patrols start to slowly move forward again, but I smash the space in front of them with another bolt of lightning. As I continue to pound the area with lightning, the Dagger Legion continues moving towards the rendezvous point. After a few more strikes I see they have made it far enough to escape. Now there is only one thing left to do.

I take a deep breath and reach even further into the storm for as much lightning as possible. I take a deep breath and picture all of the Silvers and Reds who have manipulated me since I left the Stilts. I think of all the pain it has caused my family. I think of Shade. The rage building within my heart pushes me further, to the point where I am barely able to control the electricity rippling through the sky.

 _You can do it Mare. Focus._

"Mare..."

I hear Kilorn but it's too late now. They started it. Maven, Cal, Command, the Lakelanders. They have all tried to play a dangerous game of manipulation and secrecy, but not anymore. They trained me, and now they'll fear me even more than they already do. They wanted a Red Queen, and now I'll give them one.

I let the lightning loose, aiming it directly at the hangars where the planes are stored. The lightning breaks through the ceiling of the hangar as if it wasn't there and smashes into the ground, lighting up the sky in sparks and fire. Even though I am far away at the top of the mountains, I can still feel the shake of the earth after the strike.

I don't wait to see the Scarlet Guard attempt to salvage their aircrafts. I turn around and see the disbelief plastered all over Kilorn's face.

"I'm keeping my word. It's time to let this fucking place burn."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Evangeline Samos**_

I look out the window looking into the night sky questioning everything I have become. I was built to rule. Molded like metal throughout the years to be a proper and fierce leader. A strong leader. But never a leader of my own kingdom. Father dangled that hope in front of me, only to crush my dreams. To him, I am just another piece of metal, waiting to bend to his command without a thought.

I will only be another figure piece on the royal chessboard. Calore will make the decisions on his own with those he trusts. I'll never be allowed into the inner circle, not while Barrow is still in his head.

"Evangeline?"

My brother's voice snaps me out of my trance. We've been at the rebellion camps for weeks now and one of the only people I find comfort in seeing is Tolly. He is the only one who knows everything I have been through. What has been taken away from me.

I run to open the door and the guards let him through. As always, he looks the part of the warrior. He is coated in perfectly crafted armour from the neck down. I've always thought his facial features looked more like our mother's, but he carries himself exactly as our father. Pure confidence with little regard or interest of those around him. I was never as good at learning from Father as he was.

"Evangeline, are you alright?" His tone is not as lighthearted as it usually is when he speaks to me. Something is off.

"I'm fine Tolly, what's the problem?"

Suddenly his face grows pale as his silver blood rises to his cheeks and drowns out the concern. "You mean…you haven't heard?" His eyes shift from me to the door, but he stays still. I've never seen Tolly like this with anyone, let alone me. His usual confidence is gone, reducing him to what looks like a nervous schoolboy afraid to ask his teacher a question.

"Heard what?" His eyes shift again, looking everywhere but at me.

"Elane and I…we have to return to the Rift tomorrow morning to tell our people what is happening."

"And? I will come with you as well to help spread the word." If this is what Tolly was afraid to tell me, he has become soft over the last couple of weeks. I let myself smile, knowing I have everything I need. "The three of us together until the end remember?"

Along his hairline I can see the faintest trace of sweat starting to form. Completely unnoticeable to anyone else, but I know Tolly too well. There's more.

"That's the thing Evangeline…I asked Father if that would be possible but he refused. You have to stay here with Cal."

The words hit me harder than anything I've ever felt in battle. My stomach threatens to spill its contents all over Tolly's metal shoes. But the pain and nausea quickly pass, welcoming anger in their place. First I was promised an empire of my own to rule, with only my family by my side. Cal's grandmother took that away from me, leaving me with only one form of happiness left – Elane. But now father wants to take her away from me too?

"No."

Tolly's face changes from worrisome to stern. Just as I know him better than anyone else, he knows me too well. He can see what's coming next. "What? Evangeline you know you can't go against Father."

I push past him towards the door. He didn't even stand up to Father for me when he had the chance. "Watch me."

"Evangeline, please! You know how Father will – "

Before Tolly is able to finish his thought, the ground shakes with such ferocity it feels like it might swallow us whole. Tolly completely loses his balance and falls into the side of the wall. I hold my ground, gripping the edge of the door for support.

Outside my window I can see lightning ravaging the ground, shaking the earth with each strike.

 _Barrow._

Tolly gets off the ground and grabs my arm. "We need to get out of here now."

I see it play out in front of my eyes. I go with Tolly to Father and we stay together until the lightning girl stops attacking the camp. After it is clear, Father will tell Tolly to leave immediately with Elane to be safe. They will go, leaving me with nothing. Just a throne I will never truly sit in.

I refuse.

"I'm not coming Tolly."

"Evangeline please you are being foolish. We need to get out of here now."

Out the window I can see movement towards the mountains. Young soldiers, all rescued from the Choke are running towards them, with the base patrols following closely behind. Barrow is definitely up to something.

Despite being born to a high house, I feel no better than a Red. Powerful men control everything around me, while I am forced to play whatever role they see fit for me at the time. I will no longer be a puppet.

"Enough Tolly, I'm done here."

"If you don't come with me, Father will come and get you himself."

I smile, finally in control of my own fate. Finally free of my Father's chains. "Let him."

I feel the metal throughout the building and pull on the beams that form the wall facing the mountains. They start to moan as I bend them to my will, controlling them as I see fit. I will no longer be the metal – I can be so much more.

I rip the wall open as if it was paper, causing metal to fly in all directions. The base patrol doesn't even notice, as their hands are tied with the lightning trying to scorch them. I start walking towards the mountains, feeling free at last.

As I take my first step outside the building, something grabs my foot and anchors it to the floor, almost causing me to fall face first into the dirt. When my eyes reach the anchor, I feel an anger build in me that I have never felt before.

 _Metal._

I turn and see Tolly's arm outstretched, holding the anchor in place and stopping me from taking control of it.

"You dare use your ability against me? Your sister?"

Beneath the stern face of a soldier, I can see a small glimmer of pain. I know there is a small piece of him that doesn't want to do this. But he is our Father's son, and will follow his orders to his grave. As always, my wishes are thrown to the wind if Father commands it.

"Enough Evangeline. Calm yourself and let's get out of here." Gone is my loving brother Tolly. He speaks to me as he speaks to his soldiers. Resolute and firm. His mistake is thinking I give a shit about what he says anymore.

I take control of the scrap metal from the building behind me and shoot it towards my brother with all my strength. As it flies through the air I change its shape into a thin, but razor sharp spear.

Before Ptolemus even has the chance to move, the spear makes contact with his outstretched hand and sends him flying against the wall. Stunned, he looks towards his arm to see my spear piercing cleanly through his hand, pinning him against the wall. An animalistic scream of pain erupts from his mouth, but I only laugh as the anchor around my foot falls away.

I turn away from Ptolemus and start walking towards the mountains. I thought this would be harder, but nothing has ever felt as right as this choice.

Through screams of pains and curses, I can hear my brother trying to call me back. Threatening me. Apologizing to me. Even promising to confront Father for me. But it's too late for all of that.

Once a caged animal tastes freedom, it will never return behind the bars. I've never felt more alive in my life, and finally I know exactly what I need to do.

It's my turn to know what power feels like.


End file.
